Varicose vein treatment at Spire Harpenden Hospital

At Spire Harpenden Hospital, we pride ourselves on our comprehensive private hospital services and high standards of care for our patients in Hertfordshire.

We can treat varicose veins if they’re causing pain or complications, or if you'd like to have them treated for aesthetic reasons.

You can get fast access to one of our expert consultants who’ll provide a treatment and recovery plan that’s tailored to you.

Your consultant will recommend a treatment based on the type of varicose veins you have, your general health and your desired outcome.

We have a range of treatments available. All have their own potential benefits and risks which your consultant will discuss with you.

We offer the following procedures:

• Radiofrequency ablation (eg Venefit®, also called VNUS closure) – a probe inside a catheter is inserted into the affected vein and uses radiofrequency energy to heat and seal the vein
• Hook phlebectomy or microphlebectomy (also called stab multiple avulsions) – small incisions are made close to the vein and a hook-shaped instrument is used to remove the affected veins through the incisions
• Ligation and stripping – a surgical procedure to remove the veins

Getting here

We have excellent road links to the M1 and A1(M) and are five minutes from Harpenden train station. Other public transport options are available. We have free on-site parking for you and your visitors.

Your consultation

You’ll meet your chosen consultant in one of our private consultation rooms. They’ll discuss:

• The reasons why you’d like treatment
• Your medical history
• Which treatment will be best for you
• How the procedure will be performed and what anaesthetic you’ll need
• The potential benefits and risks

Your consultant may need you to have additional tests or scans before they can recommend the next steps.

You may also need a pre-operative assessment to check your fitness and overall health before the procedure.

On the day

Once you arrive for your treatment, you’ll meet your consultant again who’ll work with our nurses to get you ready for your procedure. You’ll then be taken to an operating theatre.

The time taken for each procedure ranges from half an hour to an hour or longer if you’re having more veins treated.

Anaesthetic

Most procedures can be performed under local anaesthetic, meaning you won’t be able to feel anything in the area being treated. Alternatively, you may have a general anaesthetic (eg usually for surgical ligation and stripping) where you’ll be completely asleep.

After your procedure

You can usually go home a few hours after your treatment. It may be longer for general anaesthetic and if you’ve had more veins and/or both legs treated. You’ll be looked after in a Post Anaesthetic Care Unit (Recovery) before you can move to your own room to rest and recover until you're well enough to go home.

Occasionally, you may need an overnight stay. If so, you’ll have one of our private, en-suite rooms. All of our rooms have:

• TV
• Window
• En-suite bathroom
• Table over bed
• Side table
• Telephone

You can usually get back to your normal routine straight away after your treatment. However, if you’ve had ligation and stripping, or more veins treated, you may need to take a few days off work and rest. Your consultant may recommend compression stockings which can help improve blood flow while your body heals.

After a few weeks, you’ll return to the hospital for a follow-up appointment so we can check that you’re recovering well and the treatment has worked.

Your recovery will be personal to you and you should always take your consultant’s advice. Here’s a typical recovery timeline as a guide: